Directors of Community First Foundation asked ourselves two key questions in weighing the merits of the proposed change in sponsorship for Exempla Healthcare: Will this change fulfill our charter of putting the needs of the community first and will it improve the level of health care Exempla physicians provide for their patients? Our board – which includes local business leaders and five physicians – is in unanimous agreement that the answer to both questions is yes.
What’s at stake is access to $300 million in capital resources from the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System (SCLHS) that would provide the financial strength for Exempla to make essential improvements in patient care and infrastructure, while still owning all its assets. Community First Foundation would receive $311 million, which represents 50 percent of the Foundation’s membership stake in Exempla. These funds will be reinvested in nonprofit services – including health care programs – to benefit the broader public. This is a win-win for the community at large.
It’s important to remind people that Exempla’s Board of Directors asked the sponsors to identify and secure new capital for the system. The results of that effort are the basis for the proposed transfer agreement. Specific improvements outlined in its proposal – which SCLHS has endorsed – are the complete rebuilding of Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital and the completion of the hospital’s Specialty Center to include a Children’s Emergency Room and a specialty Orthopedic hospital; continued support for Exempla Lutheran Medical Center’s top position in Medical Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Orthopedics and Pulmonary Medicine; and the continued growth of Exempla Good Samaritan Hospital, including the likely addition of a second patient tower. In addition, SCLHS has pledged to assist Exempla and its associated medical staff with technology that will enable physicians to assure speedy, accurate and safe patient care.
Meanwhile, Community First Foundation looked to Denver area residents to define what it means to be healthy. We learned that “health” is comprised of many dimensions, including physical, social, environmental, spiritual, occupational, educational and economic. We plan to honor the community’s wishes by supporting services that address these nine dimensions, in addition to continuing to grant funds to support Exempla. Examples of our past granting include support for Exempla Lutheran Medical Center’s Pharmacy Indigent prescription program and Breast Care Center.
With all these pluses, why is there opposition? It’s largely based on concerns over access to elective reproductive procedures that represent less than 1 percent of admissions at Lutheran Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital. It should be pointed out that Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital which is owned by SCLHS delivers more babies than any other hospital in the state. These access issues have been dealt with successfully in other communities where hospitals are governed by religious organizations. We’re confident that the access issues can be appropriately dealt with here in Denver. Although Exempla has pulled away from discussions with regulators and community members that seek to resolve this issue, Community First Foundation will continue to work on developing and supporting alternative sources for women’s reproductive services following the close of the transaction.
Community First Foundation takes its role as a steward of the community resources very seriously. We put this responsibility above all others in weighing the impact a sponsorship change brings to Exempla hospitals. The transaction should proceed as planned because it truly does put the needs of the community first.
Felix W. Cook Sr. is retired director of the Technical Service Center, Bureau of Reclamation, and a member of the Community First Foundation’s board of directors.
